In Nebraska a homeschool is an exempt school: a private school that elects not to meet state accreditation rules. You file that election with the Commissioner of Education by July 15 every year, and the state tests nothing and reviews nothing.
Verified against primary sources November 2026. Laws change; sources are linked at the bottom of this page.
Each year, by July 15, file two forms with the Nebraska Department of Education: a Statement of Election and Assurances signed by a parent, legal guardian, or educational decisionmaker, and an Authorized Parent Representative form. The first year, also send a certified copy of each child's birth certificate. Teach a sequential program in language arts, math, science, social studies, and health, and plan a school year with room for 1,032 instructional hours in grades K to 8 or 1,080 in grades 9 to 12. There is no test, no portfolio, no curriculum review, and no teacher certificate.
A private school that elects not to meet state approval or accreditation requirements. Nebraska calls homeschools exempt schools. One can be in the home or elsewhere, and can teach children from more than one family.
A private school that meets the state's approval or accreditation standards, including certified teachers and twice-yearly inspection unless a certified area or diocesan representative inspects it. Families who enroll a child in one do not file an exemption.
By July 15 of each year your exempt school will operate, your authorized parent representative files two things with the Commissioner of Education: a signed Statement of Election and Assurances for each child of mandatory attendance age, and a signed Authorized Parent Representative form. You can file online or by mail or drop-off, but not by email or fax. There is no fee.
The statement says either that the approval and accreditation requirements violate your sincerely held religious beliefs, or that they interfere with your decisions in directing your child's education. It also says your representative will file a yearly assurance, that the school offers the required courses, and that you are satisfied the people monitoring instruction are qualified to teach the basic skills. One parent, legal guardian, or educational decisionmaker signs. A legal guardian or educational decisionmaker attaches the court papers.
If you move to Nebraska after July 15, file promptly once you live here. If you decide after July 15 to take your child out of an approved or accredited school, file promptly then. The election takes effect when the Commissioner receives the completed forms, and the department advises withdrawing your child from school only after it has your filing.
When your child first enrolls in an exempt school, provide the Commissioner a certified copy of the birth certificate, or other reliable proof of identity and age with an affidavit explaining why you cannot produce one. If you do not, the Commissioner gives you ten days in writing and then must refer the matter to local law enforcement.
Your school must keep a sequential program of instruction designed to lead to basic skills in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health. You choose the curriculum. Since 2024 you do not report the curriculum or the names of the people teaching.
Nebraska's minimum school term is 1,032 instructional hours for elementary grades and 1,080 for high school grades in public and private schools. The department applies these to exempt schools (K to 8 and 9 to 12), within a school year that runs July 1 to June 30, and the representative form asks for start and end dates that leave room for them. A mid-year start may prorate the hours.
An exempt school must meet state health, fire, and safety standards and report attendance as section 79-201 provides. If you elect for the nonreligious reason, the immunization law applies, with its medical and religious exemptions. Keep the immunization record yourself: the department does not collect it.
Teachers in an exempt school do not need a Nebraska teaching certificate. No one monitoring or providing instruction may have been convicted of the sex, child abuse, or related felonies listed in the statute.
Your representative must promptly tell the Commissioner when you add a student, when a child stops attending, when the representative changes, or when an address changes. A child who is 16 or 17 may be withdrawn with a Withdrawal From Exempt School form, and a child under 18 who has finished your program may be released with a Report of Completion.
A school that elects exemption but does not meet these requirements is not considered a school, and the parent may be prosecuted under the compulsory attendance law or the habitual truancy statutes.
| July 1 | The school year begins. Your hours count from July 1 to June 30. |
| By July 15 | File the Statement of Election and Assurances and the Authorized Parent Representative form for the coming year, with birth certificates for any new students. |
| After filing | The department sends an acknowledgment letter to your representative and notifies your resident school district. Keep the letter. |
| During the year | Report any new student, withdrawal, change of representative, or address change promptly. |
| Before your child's seventh birthday | If you signed the district affidavit to delay a six-year-old, file with the Commissioner by this date. |
| By June 30 | The school year ends. Your instructional hours should be complete. |
No. You file with the Commissioner of Education, not the district. Your election takes effect when the Commissioner receives the properly completed forms, and the department then tells your resident school district. Exempt schools are acknowledged, not approved.
By July 15 each year the school will operate. If you move to Nebraska after July 15, or decide after July 15 to take your child out of an approved or accredited school, file promptly. The department accepts filings after July 15, but your child is not exempt from school attendance until it receives them.
No. Nebraska law sets no test, portfolio, or evaluation for exempt schools, and the department says it does not collect grades or require progress reports.
A child is of mandatory attendance age if they turn six before January 1 of the school year. You can file for that year, or you can sign an affidavit with your resident school district saying you intend to use an exempt school and will file with the Commissioner on or before your child's seventh birthday.
Each school board must allow part-time enrollment of resident exempt school students and must let them join extracurricular activities on the same terms as other students. For activities run by an athletics or activities association, the board must require enrollment in five credit hours a semester, and your exempt school sets and assures the academic eligibility standard.
A free parent account comes with a Home class. Add your children as students and see every project they make and every lesson they finish. See what they can make, by age.
Make a free parent accountReference information reviewed August 2026 against primary sources (statutes, NCAA and Common App published requirements). This is general information, not legal advice; requirements change, so verify anything load-bearing for your family against your state's current law.